(
课件网) Unit 6 The Admirable Lesson 3 The Superhero Behind Superman Look at the two pictures of Christopher Reeve. Activate and Share What do the two pictures tell you about Christopher Reeve What do you want to know about him Ask as many questions as you can. Activate and Share Why is Reeve known as the superhero behind Superman Christopher Reeve Read the story. Read and Explore The story of Christopher Reeve’s life is one that is almost impossible to imagine — from a wildly successful Hollywood career, to the horror of life-threatening injury; Reeve experienced both. Thus, not only is he known as a superhero in the Superman films, but he is also regarded as a superhero to many in real life. Reeve was born on 25 September,1952 in New York — the son of Franklin Reeve, a teacher and novelist, and Barbara Pitney, a journalist. He found his passion in acting and starred in his first school play at the age of eight. Although he believed he would only ever act on stage, Reeve tried out for, and was eventually given the lead role in a Superman film. Reeve starred in four Superman films from 1978 to 1987. He realised that his roles in these films had given him the opportunity to be a real-life superman, and he soon gained a reputation for raising awareness for good causes. He visited sick children in hospitals and worked with organisations such as Save the Children, speaking out about health, education and child protection to help those most in need. Unfortunately, in 1995 disaster struck Reeve. While horseback riding, he was thrown off his horse and broke his neck. His injuries were so severe that he had no movement or feeling in his body at all and even needed a machine to help him breathe. At first, his doctors did not believe that he would survive. During this time, Reeve felt like he had lost all hope. Having once been a healthy and successful young man to being trapped in a broken body was like a living nightmare to him. He admitted that during the early stages of living with his injury, he wished that he was dead and even thought of ending his own life. He fell into a depression which lasted for many months. It was only due to the ongoing support of his wife, family and friends that he eventually found the will to live again. For the years that followed he focused his attention on his goal of one day walking again. With a new sense of energy and commitment, Reeve undertook an intense exercise programme to help him achieve this goal. He engaged in a wide range of exercises designed to rebuild muscle, and made remarkable progress. Shortly after, he managed to return to his film career by directing, producing and even starring in films. He also wrote a biography and returned to his charity work. Reeve became a passionate and energetic advocate for people with back injuries and disabilities, raising millions of dollars in support of medical research. “What I do is based on powers we all hav ... ...
